Hinge and ball hold-open



Nov. 12,1957 LA VERNE B, RAGSDALE 2,812,536

I HINGE AND BALL HOLD-OPEN Filed Sept. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEQNTOR Nov. 12, 1957 LA VERNEBIRAGSDALE 2,812,536

HINGE AND BALL HOLD-OPEN Filed Sept. 13, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ORNEY United states Patent 2,812,536 H NGE AND BALL HOLD-OPEN Application September 13, 1954, Serial No. 455,438 1 Claim. (Cl. 16-141) This invention relates to a hinge hold-open, and more particularly to an improved hinge hold-open for automobile doors.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved hinge hold-open; another feature of the invention is that it provides a hinge hold-open including rotatable bearing means on one hinge member and cam means on the other hinge member in the path of said bearing when the hinge is moved to open position; a further feature of the invention is that spring means urge the bearing into engagement with the cam to provide a yieldable hold-open; still another feature of the invention is that the cam means includes an inclined surface over which the bearing rolls and a shoulder behind which the bearing seats in the holdopen position; and yet another feature of the invention is that it provides a hinge strap pivotally mounted between the walls of a hinge box, the strap having an opening therethrough extending transversely of said walls and a ball in said opening at each side of the strap for engaging cam members on the hinge box walls to provide a yieldable hold-open.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the hinge pillar and door showing the hinge in plan, the door being shown closed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the hinge pillar and door showing the hinge in plan, the door being shown open;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the hinge box and hinge strap taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in a different position;

Fig. 5 is a further enlarged detail view showing one of the hold-open cams; and

Fig. 6 is a section through the the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 10 is an automobile body hinge pillar having an opening 12 in its jamb face, and 14 is an automobile door having a hinge face 15 facing the opening 12. The door preferably is secured to the body by two hinges which are spaced vertically. Only the upper hinge is illustrated in the drawings.

A hinge box 16 is mounted on the automobile body within the pillar 10 by means of screws 17. The box 16 is generally U-shaped, having a base 18 through which the screws 17 extend and having opposite side walls 19 and 20 projecting outwardly from the base and terminating adjacent the opening 12.

A hinge pin 22 is journaled between the walls 19 and 20 and forms a pivotal support for a gooseneck hinge strap 24 which is mounted for swinging movement between the walls 19 and 20 and which has a free end portion 25 extending through the opening 12. The end 25 is secured to the door 14 by means of screws 27 threaded into a hinge box taken along reinforcing plate 28 on the inner surface of the inside door wall. The door may be swung between open and closed positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

In order to provide a hold-open device for yieldably holding the hinge in open position, rotatable bearing means are mounted on the hinge strap 24 for cooperation with cam means mounted on the hinge box walls. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, there is an opening or bore 30 extending through the hinge strap at a location spaced from the pivot pin 22, this bore extending in directions transverse of the hinge box walls 19 and 20. Balls 31 and 32 are located in the bore, being urged outwardly in said bore by a compression spring 34 in the bore. At each end of the spring there is a T-shaped plunger 36, each plunger having its shank inserted in one end of the spring and the head of each plunger providing a shoulder for seating the adjacent end of the spring. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 3, the outer surface of the head of each plunger has a recess 37 formed about the radius of the adjacent ball for seating said ball. At each side the hinge strap is peened, as shown at 38, to prevent the balls from falling out of the bore.

At points opposite the strap 24, when located in open position, the respective walls 19 and 20 of the hinge box carry cam members, one such member 40 being riveted to the hinge box wall 19 and a similar cam 41 being riveted to the hinge box wall 20. Each cam has an inclined surface 44 over which the balls may run and a shoulder 46 behind which the balls seat in the hold-open position.

A flanged cap 48 is welded to the hinge box and provides a mounting for a rubber bumper 50 which is adapted to engage the hinge strap 24 when in open position and provide a positive stop.

In the operation of the hold-open, as the hinge strap approaches its open position (Fig. 4) when the door is being swung from closed to open position, the spring-loaded balls 31 and 32 ride over the inclined surfaces of the adjacent cam members 40 and 41, and when fully open positions is reached (Fig. 3) the balls have ridden over the shoulders 46 on these cam members and seat behind the shoulders. At this time, the strap abuts the bumper 50 as shown in Figs. 2 and 6 to provide a resilient positive stop. The spring-loaded ball and cam means form a yieldable hold-open, the spring pressure on the balls being sufficient to hold the door open against the normal force of gravity. When it is desired to close the door, the manual closing force causes the spring-loaded balls to ride over the shoulders 46 and down the inclined cam surfaces so that the door may be swung to closed position.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A yieldable hinge check and hold-open for a door, comprising, a hinge box having opposite spaced parallel side walls, a hinge strap pivotally mounted on said hinge box on an axis extending between said walls for swinging movement between door open and door closed positions, said strap being narrower than the space between said walls and having a transverse bore parallel to said axis but spaced therefrom, resilient check means comprising a rubber bumper mounted on said box between said walls at a location spaced from the pivotal axis of the strap and in a position where the strap abuts the bumper when in door open position, hold-open means comprising a pair of balls rotatably mounted in the bore of the strap, one at each side of the strap, a compression spring mounted in the bore between the balls and means on the strap retaining the balls in the bore with a segment of each ball projecting Patented Nov. 12, 1957 therefrom, and a cam on 'each wall of the hinge box for engagement by the balls when the strap is in door open position, each cam having an inclined surface over which the ball rolls as the door approaches open position and a shoulder behind which the ball seats when the-strap reaches door open position, thecams being located adjacent said bumper in a position withrespect thereto such that the balls seat fully behind the cam shouldersand the strap simultaneously abuts the bumper, whereby the strap,

References Cited in the file of this patent when in door open position, is resiliently held at three 10 2'4O5719 places.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

